William Penn Life, 1968 (3. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1968-05-01 / 5. szám
A MEASURE OF HER WORTH In an earlier column, you were introduced to the Associated Appraisers of Earning Capacity. As I explained, this national group of experts attempts to scientifically work out the earning capacity that is lost when a person is negligently hurt or killed. In the “Million Dollar Case” I cited, we saw how effectively the AAEC experts helped a judge work out the lost HUMAN LIFE VALUE of a young aeronautical engineer. Many similar cases fill the court files. Most of them involve men. However, a case of a woman recently was reported which drove home a fact that many of us tend to overlook: WOMEN ALSO HAVE HUMAN LIFE VALUE. This case was heard by the New York Supreme Court. Homemaker-service-expert, E. H. Driske of the Yonkers (NY) Family Service Society, stated that the family of a woman who died after being given the wrong kind of blood by the hospital, would need domestic help in their home for 20 years, because she left behind two children, aged 4 months and 16 months. By domestic help, he meant a full-time homemaker or substitute mother, a part-time housekeeper, and baby sitters. He estimated the cost would be as follows: Mini-Homemaker mum $79,300 over 20 yrs. Part-Time Housekeeper ” 24,960 over 20 yrs. Baby Sitters ” 1,440 over 20 yrs. Employment taxes, insurance psychological counselling charges, and social service agency fees for finding the substitute mother and training her and her replacement . . . $14,069.12. TOTAL REPLACEMENT VALUE FOR THE DECEASED MOTHER — A MINIMUM OF $119,769.12. Based on this testimony, the court awarded the bereaved husband this amount, plus an amount for HER PAIN AND SUFFERING. The total award was $135,000. This was eventually cut back to $95,000 by a Court of Appeals. Do you, fellow-member, know the measure of your wife’s worth? I don’t mean how much money she has in the bank, but, “How much she’s worth to you if she dies?” The case I just cited is an unusual case. The wife died through someone’s negligence. When a wife dies of natural causes, there is, of course, no grounds for recovering for her loss! But, the loss is nonetheless very great! CAN YOU MEASURE YOUR WIFE’S VALUE IN TERMS OF DOLLARS? OF COURSE NOT! NO AMOUNT OF MONEY COULD REPLACE HER . . . IN YOUR HEART ... OR IN YOUR HOME. THE LOSS OF A WIFE AND MOTHER IS TRAGIC . . . YET THE FINANCIAL LOSS IS STAGGERING! Have you ever stopped to think WHAT WOULD THESE LOSSES DO TO YOUR FAMILY BUDGET? For instance, let’s take a look at LOSSES FROM LAST EXPENSES. IMMEDIATELY, YOU’D BE SWAMPED BY A FLOOD OF BILLS —DOCTOR BILLS, NURSING BILLS, MEDICINES, BURIAL AND ADMINISTRATION COSTS. AND TO MEET THESE BILLS, SUPPOSE YOU HAVE TO BORROW MONEY OR TAKE IT FROM SAVINGS? What do you estimate it might cost for last expenses if your wife should become ill and then die? $5,000? Assume it takes you 5 years to pay back this $5,000. You’d have to pay $108 a month for 60 months or a total of $6,048. Therefore, it will really cost you over $6,000 for her last expense! Let’s next take a look at LOSSES you’d suffer in HOUSEKEEPER HIRE. IF YOU BECOME A WIDOWER WHILE THE CHILDREN ARE YOUNG, IT’S LIKELY YOU’LL NEED A HOUSEKEEPER TO CARE FOR THE CHILDREN AND PERFORM THE NECESSARY HOUSEHOLD TASKS WHILE YOU’RE BUSY EARNING AN INCOME. How old is your youngest child? Assume he’s 2. In that case, you’ll need a housekeeper for at least 16 years. Let’s assume you pay her $200 a month for those 16 years. This means you’ll pay out a total of $38,400! AND IF YOUR WIFE DIES, YOUR PRIVILEGE OF FILING A JOINT RETURN IS LOST WITHIN TWO YEARS AND YOUR INCOME IS TAXED AT A HIGHER RATE. Familymen, who haven’t children, lose THE JOINT RETURN PRIVILEGE IMMEDIATELY AND THE TAX RATE IS STILL HIGHER. To show you what this means, let’s assume YOUR TAXABLE INCOME IS $10,000. IT WILL COST YOU $2,860 IN ADDED TAXES OVER 15 YEARS. As you can see, it will cost you a Bowling Banquet Entertainers Frank Borisz (seven piece orchestra) and his Popular Continental Hungarian Dance Orchestra.—Has several records out on Four 4 Sisters Records. —Has been prominent on the stage as well as in radio.—Has his own radio program known as The Popular Second Generation. — Hungarian Program heard over radio station WSLR (1350) in Akron, Ohio every Sunday at 10:35 A.M.—Has played in Detroit, Dayton, Youngstown, Canton, Akron and many other big cities. lot of money—almost $50,000!—if your wife should die before your family is raised! However, YOU CAN WARD OFF THESE LOSSES WITH WIFE INSURANCE! Such insurance ADDS READY CASH TO TOMORROW’S FAMILY BUDGET TO OFFSET THE DEATH LOSSES YOU’D SUSTAIN IF YOUR WIFE DIES. This inusrance would also be most helpful TO SUPPLEMENT your joint RETIREMENT PLANS, because you’d have a sizable amount of cash by the time you retire. You can also depend on this WIFE insurance for EMERGENCIES, EDUCATIONS, VACATIONS, ETC. To put this plan into effect, you need take only a few dollars FROM TODAY’S FAMILY BUDGET to provide the ready cash you’ll need for TOMORROW’S FAMILY BUDGET. Fraternally yours, Elmer Charles President 3 “HARMONICA HI FI’s”
